Ottawa – Justin Trudeau, Member of Parliament for Papineau celebrates the passing of the Nahanni National Park Reserve expansion in the House of Commons.

Bill C-38 introduced by the Canadian Government has been unanimously passed by MPs in the House of Commons today. The changes to the National Park Act will make the Nahanni one of the world's largest National Park Reserves.

There was agreement by the four parties that the bill would be passed at all stages, sending it straight to the Senate for review.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) praised the bill, celebrating that “the world famous park reserve is now nearly seven times the size of the original one established in 1972. It will permanently protect over 30,000 km2 of Boreal wilderness - an area the size of Vancouver Island.”

The dream of fully protecting the Nahanni began in the early 70s with the Right Honourable Pierre Elliott Trudeau and thirty years later, in 2003, Mr. Justin Trudeau, well before becoming the Member of Parliament for Papineau, launched the current campaign to expand the park by paddling the river and headlining the "Nahanni Forever" speaking tour with CPAWS.

"We have finally come full circle with the Nahanni, and I am extremely proud to be part of the Parliament that unanimously completed the work that my father began so many years ago" said Trudeau.

Nahanni National Park Reserve is an outstanding example of northern wilderness rivers, canyons, gorges and alpine tundra. The park is centered on the river valleys of the South Nahanni and Flat rivers in the southwest part of the Northwest Territories.